And now, a larger boat…

Minerva’s first few seasons in the water were spent in Muscongus Bay, in Maine’s midcoast. We were in the habit of renting a cottage in Waldoboro or Friendship each August, so vacations began with launching and ended with haul out onto a trailer. Minerva spent her off-season months under a cover at my mother- and father-in-law’s yard in Cumberland Foreside. Muscongus Bay is somewhat protected and offers many possible routes around islands, through channels, in addition to some open water. It’s a great place for a small daysailer!

In 2002 we purchased a second home in Georgetown, Maine near the village of Five Islands and with a limited view of Harmon’s Harbor. Through the generosity of two very good friends, we’ve been able to use their dock for water access to the harbor. We put in a mooring that we can see from our front porch, and Minerva had a new home port and a season in the water that typically went from July through August.

Harmon’s Harbor is fairly narrow and about 1 mile long, with a narrow entrance protected by ledge. The harbor exit takes you right out into the mouth of the Sheepscot River, which is virtually open ocean with depths approaching 200′ in places. It’s not unusual to encounter big swells outside of the harbor. At 14+ feet, Minerva is a small boat for significant swells. She also has no cockpit seats, so you are generally sitting on the rail if there is a good breeze. It can be a rough, wet ride! So once we had a taste of these more demanding conditions, I realized that having a larger boat would be prudent, allowing us to sail more safely and comfortably.

In my reading about boats and boatbuilding, I began to learn about America’s celebrated yacht designer/builder, Nathaniel G. Herreshoff. His career spanned more nearly 60 years, beginning in 1878 up to his death in 1938, and included design of five successful defenders of the America’s Cup between 1893 and 1920. The Herreshoff Manufacturing Company produced upwards of 1000 boats during Herreshoff’s lifetime. One particular model, designed in 1914 and known as the “12 1/2 footer” (that was its length on the waterline), became extremely popular and over 400 were manufactured. Naval architect Joel White, designer of the Nutshell pram and many other boats, drew up plans for a centerboard version of the 12 1/2 footer, known as the Haven 12 1/2, and this became a very popular boat for home builders.

Maynard Bray authored a book on building the Haven, which serves as a very detailed construction manual. The book includes scores of photographs showing details of a Haven being built by professional boatbuilder Eric Dow. I purchased a copy of this book and spent endless hours over several years studying it, wondering if I possessed the skills necessary to build such a complex and potentially beautiful traditional boat.

Like many boat designers in his day, Herreshoff carved wooden “half-models” to refine the shape of his hull designs. By making careful measurements of the half-model, the design could be scaled up to the size of the actual boat. Herreshoff likely used the same half-model to design four different-size boats, including the 12 1/2 footer (designed in 1914) and a larger daysailer, called the Fish (designed in 1916), with a waterline length of 16′.

Because the Haven 12 1/2 was so well received by builders, Joel White decided to draw plans for a centerboard version of Herreshoff’s Fish class, a design he named the Flatfish. Flatfish plans were offered for sale by the WoodenBoat Store. Could I possibly build a Flatfish? I began to think I just might be up to it.

Our home in Georgetown has a two-story barn that is 12′ x 30′, with a door on the narrow end. Likely it had formerly been used for boat building. Our house dates to 1852, but I believe the barn was built somewhat later. The stairs to the second level are at the rear, reducing the usable length of the barn by about 3′. I’d need space for a workbench, a band saw, and a planer/joiner. It would be tight, but I concluded that I did have enough space to construct a Flatfish in our barn.

Did I possess the skills required to build this boat? My two prior projects had given me some preparation and I had most of the tools I’d need. But the Flatfish was built “plank-on-frame” with “carvel planking.” The hull would be formed of cedar planks that had to fit closely together, and would be rounded as necessary inside and out to form a continuous smooth hull. More techniques to master! Carvel planking is considered the most advanced of traditional boat construction methods, and I decided that I wanted to challenge myself and build at least one carvel planked boat.

My “secret weapon” was that my neighbor and very good friend in Georgetown, Scot Smith, is a professional cabinetmaker who also had worked building traditional and modern boats. Scot had been very generous sharing his woodworking knowledge and I knew I could count on him for advice and occasional assistance as the project progressed.

I was set to proceed and in the fall of 2003, I ordered a set of Flatfish plans from the Woodenboat Store.